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Medical info with humourTue, 27 May 2014 06:19:30 +0000enhourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1Wisequackshttps://feedburner.google.comWomen Bikershttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Wisequacks/~3/KgodlGkMgfs/
http://wisequacks.org/wp2/?p=3867#commentsTue, 27 May 2014 06:18:51 +0000wisequackhttp://wisequacks.org/wp2/?p=3867Did you know that women bikers may have something in common with men who suffer from erectile dysfunction? Earlier research conducted on male police officers during bicycle patrol (would love to know how they did this) demonstrated that these cops had increased compression of the genital nerves and blood vessels which lead to a (literal) drop in their performance in the bedroom. However, according to a report out of Yale, ladies who spend a considerable amount of time on a bicycle seat may also be at risk of an impairment in their sexual health. In this study, a group of women pedalled their bicycles while scientists measured pelvic sensation and gathered information on whether these ladies experienced numbness, tingling and soreness in the Netherlands. The results indicated that women cyclists who had their handlebars positioned lower than their seats were more likely to suffer from increased pressure in the perineum which correlated with symptoms. Given these findings, researchers now recommend that if you’re a lady rider, simply raise the bar…or you might not feel like going to the bar anymore.
]]>http://wisequacks.org/wp2/?feed=rss2&p=38670http://wisequacks.org/wp2/?p=3867A Pill to Forgethttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Wisequacks/~3/bYSs22k5rVs/
http://wisequacks.org/wp2/?p=3864#commentsTue, 27 May 2014 06:17:03 +0000wisequackhttp://wisequacks.org/wp2/?p=3864Most of us are more worried about losing our memory but in the case of individuals who suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), remembering things is part of the problem. Up until now, treatment for PTSD has been difficult with various therapies designed to desensitize a patient from past incidents that remain harmful, vivid and intrusive. However, research out of Atlanta, Georgia published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, reveals that a common medication used to treat hypertension has the potential for erasing bad memories and may even prevent them from being formed in the first place.

In this observational study of over 500 participants who were exposed to at least one traumatic event, scientists discovered that those people who were taking a class of medication called ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme) inhibitors or ARBs (angiotensin receptor blockers), were 30 percent less likely to experience PTSD symptoms than others who were not on these drugs.

Following trauma, an individual may suffer from hyperarousal, avoidance, numbing of emotions and intrusive thoughts but these PTSD pills might just be what the doctor orders…while keeping your blood pressure (BP) controlled as well. That’s because angiotensin is a hormone that not only regulates BP but has also been found to play an integral role in areas of the brain that process stress and fear responses. Although other antihypertensives, such as Beta-blockers, have been used to relieve social or performance anxiety (Not Viagra in this case), these pills don’t seem to have the same potential to erase fear.

So, if you want to forget a past event, there might be a medication for you…if you remember to take it.

There are golf tournaments, and then there is the WiseQuacks Charity Golf Tournament. Fun and unique is the name of the game. From the moment you arrive at the Westin Bear Mountain Golf Resort & Spa you are in for an incredible day. Pre-events, lunch, golf, hole experiences you will talk about for days, dinner and gala event featuring notable personalities helping us celebrate what this event is all about – the David Foster Foundation. Go to wisequacksgolf.com and get in!

]]>http://wisequacks.org/wp2/?feed=rss2&p=38460http://wisequacks.org/wp2/?p=3846Drink two espressos to enhance long-term memory and call me in the morning, if you remember.http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Wisequacks/~3/jRAsDqSBkPM/
http://wisequacks.org/wp2/?p=3833#commentsSat, 17 May 2014 08:35:40 +0000wisequackhttp://wisequacks.org/wp2/?p=3833Drink two espressos to enhance long-term memory and call me in the morning, if you remember. Drink three and you’ll forget.

A recent study provides the first convincing evidence that caffeine enhances long-term memory in people – provided the dose is right. 100 or 300 mgs don’t work but 200mg does!

The effects mirror similar results seen in honeybees, where a boost to memory from caffeine-laden nectar may help bees return to certain plants, but too much caffeine and they can’t remember in whom they left their stinger.

The volunteers first studied images of objects, before randomly receiving a pill containing either 200 milligrams of caffeine – equivalent to two espressos – or a placebo. When the volunteers returned 24 hours later, they took a memory test involving images they had seen before, unseen images and images that were similar but not identical, such as a seahorse with a different shape to one they had seen previously. The volunteers had to classify these as “old”, “new” or “similar”.

The group who had received caffeine were significantly better than the placebo group at identifying which images were “similar” rather than “old”, a much harder task.

Caffeine, in the right dose, enhances long-term memory by improving the process of memory consolidation but doesn’t help with retrieval after consolidation. This means the best time to drink the coffee is just prior to learning, not prior to when trying to recall or retrieve. That’s because the process of consolidation is likely to begin as soon as new memories form. However, caffeine isn’t much use once consolidation is finished.

Finally, the study also revealed that the dose of caffeine is important. When they repeated the experiment with 100 milligram and 300 milligram doses they found that neither was significantly different from placebo. This could be because other effects kick in at higher doses that negate the benefits for memory consolidation. Also, participants given the 300 milligram dose reported side-effects like jitters, headaches and twerking during the test.

If you drank nothing but water and ate nothing but ice, I suspect you’d lose weight.

But drinking extra water with meals will not reduce the amount of food that you eat. If you drink several glasses of water with your Happy Meals, the extra water will distend your stomach and make you feel full for a minute or two, but the water leaves your stomach as quickly as a captain leaves a sinking ship these days. The only stimulus to make you stop eating is to take in enough food to make you feel full and satisfied. Water has no calories and does not satisfy hunger.

Most of your requirements for water are met by the food that you eat. A day’s food contains about 4 cups of water. The chemical reactions that occur as you burn calories add another 2 cups of water, for a total of 6 cups. You can easily meet your need for 8 glasses of water each day by drinking a couple of glasses of water or other liquid, like Snickers shakes.

Healthy kidneys are so effective in clearing extra fluid from your body that healthy people can take in a lot of extra water safely. Your kidneys can clear 5 gallons of water per day or a half glass of water every 15 minutes.

Foods that are high in fiber and water content help you lose weight because they fill you up without a lot of calories. Forget about drinking extra water; eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans and of course…Snickers bars.

]]>http://wisequacks.org/wp2/?feed=rss2&p=38350http://wisequacks.org/wp2/?p=3835Cortisone and Exercisehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Wisequacks/~3/VjjiXxgbHK0/
http://wisequacks.org/wp2/?p=3830#commentsTue, 22 Apr 2014 23:12:53 +0000wisequackhttp://wisequacks.org/wp2/?p=3830Doctors often inject cortisone-type medications into painful damaged joints and tendons. Single injections can relieve pain and swelling and appear to be safe, but many studies show that repeated injections can damage joints and delay healing in those smoking joints (referring to the joints, not the patient). Most doctors will recommend having no more than three injections into the same joint in a lifetime.

Athletes and exercisers often experience pain from injuries to their tendons, muscles, fascia, ligaments, egos and hairdos. Cortisone-type drugs reduce swelling and lessen pain and can allow an athlete or exerciser to get back to sports, but cortisone injections can weaken the tendons for several months.

Non-steroidals, like Ibuprofen, that are usually prescribed can help to block pain but do not heal damaged tissue. If you receive a cortisone injection, make sure that you protect that area from hard exercise for at least two months. No doubt some of you more indolent sort will be lining up for cortisone injections every 60 days, just to hear a doctor tell you to avoid exercise for two months….

]]>http://wisequacks.org/wp2/?feed=rss2&p=38300http://wisequacks.org/wp2/?p=3830Why Do I Eat So Little Yet Still Gain Weight?http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Wisequacks/~3/ZoCJ6GrGMEg/
http://wisequacks.org/wp2/?p=3827#commentsTue, 22 Apr 2014 23:07:05 +0000wisequackhttp://wisequacks.org/wp2/?p=3827Why are some people skinny, even though they eat large amounts of food, while others become fat? Possibly it’s because some people have types of bacteria that cause them to absorb more calories from their food.

You have two absorption systems in your body. You absorb most of your food as it passes through your small intestines. Food that is not absorbed in the small intestine goes to your colon. The colon contains a huge colony of bacteria, sort of like Cancun, that work to ferment undigested carbohydrates, sort of like Cancun, such as soluble fiber into short chain fatty acids and simple sugars that can then be absorbed through the colon walls into the bloodstream. Most people get about ten percent of their total calories from food absorbed through their colons, a colon tithe so to speak.

The dominant bacteria in the gut of obese mice are Firmicutes, bacteria that are apparently attractive and ripped, unlike the fat mice who house them.

These Firmicutes have more genes for breaking down the complex starches and fiber. Mice who are thin have more Bacteroidetes in their guts, and these bacteria are not as efficient in breaking down fiber and complex carbohydrates. Transplanting Firmicutes bacteria into the guts of lean mice made them fat, so be careful with whom you do fecal transplants with (read about fecal transplants on Wisequacks,org but not before meals).

These researchers also found that fat humans had far more Firmicutes bacteria than thinner ones. They then asked their overweight subjects to go on a low-fat, low-refined- carbohydrate diet for one year. As they lost weight, their bacteria changed to predominantly Bacteroidetes! So next time going thru the drive thru at McWendysKing ask for extra lettuce, pickles and Bacteroidetes. You’ll be asked to pull over and wait.

]]>http://wisequacks.org/wp2/?feed=rss2&p=38270http://wisequacks.org/wp2/?p=3827Why Does My Husband Not Fill His Prescription?http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Wisequacks/~3/IUR9NEbkThg/
http://wisequacks.org/wp2/?p=3824#commentsMon, 07 Apr 2014 03:38:23 +0000wisequackhttp://wisequacks.org/wp2/?p=3824Nearly one in three new prescriptions goes unfilled, suggests a new study.

The nocebo effect (of which I have written) may be partly to fault but certain clues suggests other possible reasons. Prescriptions for things like urinary infections, which are painful and difficult to ignore, or antibiotics, which tackle infections, were more likely to be filled.

Higher priced drugs were less likely to be filled as well as prescriptions for episodic conditions like migraines or rashes. Antidepressants were a popular drug to leave at the pharmacy: 38% of these drugs were not picked up. Some people were better at filling their medication prescriptions than others. Older patients (perhaps this is why they got to be old or possibly they couldn’t read the scary stuff in the small print) and those taking multiple medications were more likely to follow doctor’s orders.

]]>http://wisequacks.org/wp2/?feed=rss2&p=38240http://wisequacks.org/wp2/?p=3824Women Who Are Stressed Have Difficulty Getting Pregnanthttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Wisequacks/~3/hyHz4litEZE/
http://wisequacks.org/wp2/?p=3821#commentsMon, 07 Apr 2014 03:34:48 +0000wisequackhttp://wisequacks.org/wp2/?p=3821This despite the fact that we men give women such an incredibly stress-free existence. But apparently some women do get as anxious as an obese mallard on Duck Dynasty and they can’t get pregnant, possibly due to the fact that men are running the other direction screaming like school girls. Now before you assume that octomom must have been mainlining Valium there are both stressed women who get pregnant and non stressed women who get pregnant, the resulting product creating more stress than “any woman should be asked to bear” as my mother used to say.

According to Ohio researchers, the likelihood of becoming pregnant decreases by almost one third in women experiencing stress, while the risk of infertility increases significantly. The researchers observed the women over a period of 12 months or until they became pregnant, which likely was a tad difficult for the women knowing that they were being observed by Ohio reseachers. Saliva samples were collected regularly and measured for the stress biomarkers alpha-amylase and cortisol.

It showed that women with high levels of alpha-amylase had a 29 percent lower probability of becoming pregnant than women with lower levels. Stressed participants were also twice as likely to meet the clinical definition of infertility – not becoming pregnant despite 12 months of regular unprotected intercourse.